Laubenbergerstein Castle

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Laubenbergerstein Castle
View from the south of the donjon and the gate tower (right)

View from the south of the donjon and the gate tower (right)

Alternative name (s): Laubenberg-Stein Castle
Creation time : 12th Century
Castle type : Höhenburg, hillside location
Conservation status: ruin
Place: Immenstadt in the Allgäu
Geographical location 47 ° 34 '16 "  N , 10 ° 14' 12.5"  E Coordinates: 47 ° 34 '16 "  N , 10 ° 14' 12.5"  E
Laubenbergerstein Castle (Bavaria)
Laubenbergerstein Castle
The rehabilitated artillery dungeon from the southwest
The donjon at the beginning of the reconstruction work
View from the west with the Grünten (right)
Floor plan on the information board on the artillery tower

The ruins of the high to post-medieval Laubenbergerstein Castle (also called Laubenberg-Stein Castle) are located about one kilometer north of Immenstadt im Allgäu on a wooded hill above the Iller, southwest of the Stein im Allgäu district . The facility was renovated and partially rebuilt from 1977 by the Immenstadt homeland association.

history

The hilltop castle was probably founded in the 12th century by the bishops of Augsburg and was occupied by a ministerial . The fortification was probably intended to protect the important Iller crossing and the associated customs post.

In 1241 a Heinrich von Laubenberg zu Laubenbergerstein appears in a written source. The family of the Lords of Laubenberg also served the monasteries of St. Gallen and Reichenau in the 14th century . The family 's ancestral castle was Alt-Laubenberg Castle near Grünenbach in the Western Allgäu .

As servants of the Augsburg bishopric, the lords of Laubenberg originally only exercised lower jurisdiction in their ruling district. In 1446 the Roman-German King and later Emperor Friedrich III. however, Kaspar von Laubenberg has high jurisdiction . The fortress was therefore attacked and plundered several times in 1449 by the servants of the angry Count Hugo von Montfort. Count Hugo resided in the nearby double castle of Rothenfels - Hugofels apparently felt that the Laubenbergers' rank was a provocation. In addition, Isald von Syrgenstein, the widow of Hans von Laubenberg , is said to have acquired civil rights in the nearby imperial city of Kempten . At that time the Montforter was in feud with the city . Originally the Laubenbergers lived in good neighborhood with the counts. Walter von Laubenberg auf Stein was even deployed as Vogt on the Rothenfels between 1400 and 1404 .

Kaspar von Laubenberg, Isald's very wealthy son, began to expand Laubenbergerstein after the attacks in 1450. The view of the castle has since been dominated by the mighty artillery keep, which was renovated and partially rebuilt from 1977 onwards.

During the German Peasant War , the rebels occupied the castle in 1525 and stole several artillery pieces and firearms, including some hook-boxes .

In 1559 the Laubenbergers left the Höhenburg and moved into their newly built castle in Rauhenzell . In 1588 the family was raised to the status of imperial baron. In a source from 1629, the castle complex is already referred to as a partial ruin. At that time, the bishopric criticized the condition of the castle and commissioned the Fluhenstein bailiff Straub with the inspection. The turmoil of the Thirty Years' War may have prevented the restoration of the episcopal fief that was subsequently demanded.

Margaretha von Laubenberg sold the roof tiles in 1641, thus initiating complete decay. In 1647 the bishopric moved in the fief after the line of Alt-Laubenberg died out. The branch of the family on Laubenbergerstein had already expired in 1629. Between 1667 and 1806 the ruin was owned by the Barons Pappus von Tratzberg. The year 1806 brought the transition to Bavaria . However, the state soon returned the facility to the barons . When this family died out in 1934, the castle came to the barons of Lerchenfeld .

In 1977 the Heimatverein Immenstadt acquired the ruins and began with the restoration with the participation of the city of Immenstadt. At that time, only relatively low walls and foundations were mostly to be seen on the heavily overgrown castle grounds. The high western part of the turret and the main gate in the east were also seriously endangered. Since 2013 members of the "Laubenberger Knights" can be found in historical clothing at the castle and actively support the local history association in maintaining the castle and try to bring the visitors closer to medieval life.

description

The castle complex was built on a free-standing, low rock on the Iller. Today's Burgweg runs around the castle complex from the south and flows into the mighty main gate ("bulwark") in the east. Originally the driveway seems to have been in the north. The path then led relatively steeply through the now largely buried neck ditch to the outer bailey plateau . Two more gateways led to a square gate tower , behind which a wooden bridge spanned the ditch in front of the main castle . The gate tower was probably originally the keep of the high medieval castle.

On the western edge of the castle, the now largely reconstructed mighty late medieval gun tower rises. In the 17th century a wooden corridor connected the large tower with the smaller gate tower. Behind a small yard could apply in the retracted carts, was the Palas , whose upper floors were executed in the framework construction.

In the east of the castle there was still a kennel with a northern outer gate. The walls of this kennel are almost completely gone. A short, unrenovated remnant has been preserved with a semicircular shell tower in the southeast.

The small castle chapel was located southeast of the gate tower above the main gate and later largely fell into the neck ditch. A late Gothic altar wing from the chapel is kept in Rauhenzell Castle.

The appearance of the castle ruins is largely shaped today by the renovation and reconstruction measures of the Immenstädter Heimatverein. Around 1975 the entire east side of the gun and the upper part of the gate tower were still missing. The other walls and gates were also renovated and partially bricked up. The measures were initially somewhat arbitrary and were not always based on the original historical condition. Together with Treuchtlingen Castle in Middle Franconia , the ruin was therefore long considered by some castle explorers to be a prime example of a failed castle renovation. Since 1998 the work has been scientifically monitored and carried out much more carefully.

The entire castle complex was built with half-timbered structures from the existing Nagelfluh rock , sand rubble and brook rubble . Despite the small prohibition sign at the castle entrance, the site is freely accessible and can be visited safely.

The turret

The mighty artillery tower on the west side was built from 1450, after allegedly 200 sticks from Count Hugo XIII. von Montfort attacked and looted the castle in 1449. The count lived in the double castle Rothenfels-Hugofels, located about two kilometers to the west, the few remains of which are in urgent need of security today. The east side of the donjon is almost completely reconstructed. Some artillery charts with sandstone walls break through the wall shell. The tower can be climbed on special occasions and on request.

literature

  • Toni Nessler: Castles in the Allgäu, Volume 1: Castle ruins in the Altlandkreis Kempten and Altlandkreis Sonthofen . 1st edition. Allgäuer Zeitungsverlag, Kempten 1985, ISBN 3-88006-102-5 , pp. 224-241.
  • Michael Petzet : Sonthofen district (= The art monuments of Bavaria. The art monuments of Swabia. Volume 8). Oldenbourg, Munich 1964.
  • Bernhard Zör: Excerpts from documents on the history of the noble family von Laubenberg. In: Annual report of the Historical Association of Swabia and Neuburg. 20, 1854, pp. 65-94 and 21/22, 1956, pp. 89-129.

Web links

Commons : Burg Laubenbergerstein  - Collection of images, videos and audio files